【答案解析】Imprisonment has long been the most popular form of punishment for criminals in society, but many believe also that rehabilitation should take the form of psychological and medical treatment.
Those in favour of long term imprisonment argue that criminals are not fit to live alongside normal members of society. The obvious reason for this is that they represent a danger to others" personal safety and it is true that society would not tolerate violent criminals living in its midst. The thinking behind imprisonment is to take away prisoners" rights to individual freedom: this is their punishment. In addition, it is thought that prisoners use their time in prison to reflect on and consider their illegal behaviour, hopefully regretting and feeling remorseful about their crimes.
However, some people argue that prisons are not the best place for all criminals. Advocates for psychological rehabilitation believe that therapy and medication may be a better alternative to imprisonment for some offenders. Psychological therapy may address the root causes of the criminal behaviour and offer strategies and possibilities for change in the future. This approach may be more successful in preventing re-offending in the long run because it does not assume the same solution (that is, prison) works for all.
On the whole, I believe prison definitely has its place as a form of punishment, as no one would wish to live in fear of violent crime and criminals need to be removed from society for this reason. However, I think a combined approach which has a strong focus on psychological treatment is essential in addressing the core causes of crime, as prison alone offers no hope for future change and eventually, almost all criminals are released back into society.